Excelsior ENG101A Discussions Latest 2021 June (Full)

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 1 Discussion

Analyzing Grammar

For your initial post this week, you will be completing Step 1 for an activity based on the required Hulst reading, “Grammar, Rhetoric, and Style.”  downloadIn the essay, Hulst analyzes examples from several types of texts: a manual from the video game Fallout 3, an academic essay, an academic article from the sciences, and his own essay. 

For your initial post this week, your assignment is to share a paragraph or short section from any text you would like—and you should be creative. It can be from a cookbook, from a magazine article, or from a manual. In your post, simply share the selection and make sure you properly cite it according to APA formatting guidelines. 

Connect with Classmates

In your responses to classmates, your assignment is to provide a short analysis of the selection your classmate shared using the Hulst essay as a model. In the essay, Hulst analyzes the texts for sentence structure, word choices, and other elements of style. Your goal is to provide similar analysis for your classmate’s chosen selection. Your responses should be a full paragraph.

And, remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Just do your best to model Hulst and have some fun while doing it. 

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 2 Discussion

Share a Paragraph, Review a Paragraph

Peer review is an important part of the writing process because it gives us an opportunity to gain insights and feedback from outside readers. Essentially, peer review offers us a chance to test out our writing on an audience in a very low-stress way. As a peer reviewer, remember you do not have to be an expert writer to offer feedback to someone.

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

In your initial post, share your introduction and one body paragraph from your Rhetorical Analysis essay due at the end of this module. Remember to provide a thesis statement at the end of your introduction and to use rhetorical terms throughout your rhetorical analysis. 

Connect with Classmates

Please read the?Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay (Links to an external site.) from the Excelsior College OWL and the Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay (Links to an external site.) from St. Louis Community College. These readings will help you target your feedback to your peers.?

Select two of your classmates’ posts and try to aim for posts that have not been reviewed. After carefully reading the introduction and body paragraph, please address the following questions in your response:

Does the thesis statement make an assertion and make it clear that the reader is about to read a rhetorical analysis? If so, how? If not, what advice could you offer?

What rhetorical terms are covered in the body paragraph provided in the post? How does the author develop examples of those rhetorical terms?

Are the paragraphs well organized for you as a reader? Explain your response.

Did you notice any issues of clarity or any errors that impacted your understanding of the paragraphs? If so, be sure to point out a specific example(s).

Did the author properly cite examples from the essay according to APA guidelines? Explain your response.

What do you see as the strengths of the paragraphs so far? Be specific.

Remember, you do not have to be an expert writer to provide quality peer review feedback. You will be sharing your thoughts as an informed reader, and your classmate will then be able to consider this feedback during the revision process.

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 3 Discussion

20 Most Common Errors

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

For this discussion, you first task is to review the full list of the 20 Most Common Errors (Links to an external site.) and choose two of the errors that you may have struggled with before or were just not aware of before reviewing the materials in the OWL. Then, in your own words, paraphrase the lesson on the error and provide an original error and correction for each of the errors you chose.

Connect with Classmates

In your two peer responses, comment on your classmates’ chosen errors. What did you learn from your classmates’ posts? Then, in several sentences, reflect on the importance of clarity in writing and explain how the grammar resources in the OWL can help you as you move ahead with your writing at the college level and your writing at work. 

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 4 Discussion

The Ingredients of Research

Before you begin this discussion, review the assigned reading for this module, Walk, Talk, Cook, Eat: A Guide to Using Sources  downloadby Cynthia Haller. ?

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

For this discussion, you are going to consider possible research scenarios. The scenarios can be from real life, work, or your academic courses (like the examples provided on pages 204-206 of the Haller article). In your initial post, create a research scenario for your classmates to respond to.?

Here are some sample research scenarios to give you some ideas as you work to create an original scenario for your initial post:

You are hoping to purchase a new car by the end of the year, and you want to consider a wide variety of factors including budget, safety, reliability, and gas mileage.

Your company has asked you to be a part of a committee to help research a new location in the United States for a branch office. Sales take place online, so sales are not a factor. However, your committee must consider the cost of living, quality of living, and cost of office space.?

In your economics class, you are being asked to write a paper analyzing the factors that led to the financial crisis of 2008. You are required to use at least one scholarly source and at least one popular source.?

Connect with Classmates

Respond to the posts of at least two of your fellow students. Your response posts should use the model from the Haller article (pp. 204-206), describing the?ingredients,?processes, and?product?you would use to carry out the research project described in your classmates’ scenarios. Remember, there are many ways to approach a research scenario, so you may have different responses than your classmates, even if you chose the same scenarios.?

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 5 Discussion

Research Paper Pitch

Review the instructions for your upcoming?Research Essay Assignment?located in Module 7.?Then, review the instructions for?recording Zoom videos with transcripts?that are attached below.?

For this discussion, you are being asked to?create a short video?pitch?of?your research project?for?your classmates, who will be playing the role of editors you are pitching to. Your task is to present your pitch and explain why your research is interesting and important. Your classmates will help you by responding with feedback.?

NOTE: Excelsior College normally does not allow students to re-use a research project that they created in another class.  You should select a topic for this class that you have not used previously.

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

Before you create your video, you will want to outline your pitch and practice it. You do not have to memorize your full pitch, but you should have a plan for what you are going to say in your video.??

A good pitch will include the following:?

What is your topic, and why did you choose it? Why is it important?

What is your working thesis statement??

What sources do you plan to use to support it? You should briefly mention at least two of your best sources so far.??

What do you hope your readers will take away from your research project??

Your video pitches should be brief and should be approximately 1 to 2 minutes.??

Connect with Classmates

In your peer responses this week, your task is to play the role of editor and provide feedback on two of your classmates’?pitches. In your feedback, be sure to respond to the following questions:?

What interests you most about the topic? What are the strengths of the pitch???

What additional ideas do you have for the writer to consider??? ??

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 6 Discussion

Writing a MEAL Plan Paragraph

In this assignment, you will create a MEAL plan paragraph that you can use in your research paper. Before you begin,?refer to the readings in this module on the MEAL plan. You will also need at least one source from your research process so far. 

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

In your initial post, begin by stating the working thesis you have developed for your research paper. Then use the MEAL plan paragraph structure to write one rough draft paragraph that could support this potential thesis in your research essay. The evidence from the Evidence section of your paragraph should come from the source you located on your topic.

Connect with Classmates

In your response posts, help two of your classmates by providing feedback on their rough draft paragraphs. Consider the following questions:?

Is the?Main?idea sentence a clear assertion in the author’s own voice? If not, how can the sentence be improved??

How well does the author integrate the?Evidence??

What advice can you offer on the?Analysis?and?Lead Out??

What suggestions do you have for the overall improvement of the paragraph??

What are some of the strengths of the paragraph?

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 7 Discussion

Peer Review

Review the assignment instructions for your research paper assignment as well as the readings from this module on peer review.?

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

In this discussion assignment, you will be engaging in a formal peer review process for your research essay assignment. Remember, you do not have to be an expert writer in order to provide sound feedback as a reader on someone else’s writing. Also, as a writer, remember that your peer review feedback is for you to?consider?as you revise. Ultimately, the changes you make to your essay are up to you.??

In your initial post, include the?full?rough draft of your research essay as an attachment. Be sure to attach your paper as a Word file. In the body of your message, write a short memo to your classmates providing two pieces of information:??

Where are you in the drafting process? What are your known struggles??

What specific areas would you like a peer reviewer to focus on in your essay??

Connect with Classmates

After?you post your essay,?you will begin the peer review process. Your task as a reviewer is to peer review two essays from your classmates. For each paper you review,?please read the memo in the initial post and then the attached paper. Complete the peer review?CARES form?respond to the questions in the memo written by your classmates. Peer review feedback is due by?Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET.?

NOTE: Please make sure to respond with your review of the draft by Friday so classmates?have the opportunity to?incorporate your suggestions into the final draft of their essay, due Sunday.?

ENG101A ADVANCED COMPOSITION

Module 8 Discussion

Course Reflection

Before you begin this activity, spend some time reflecting on your progress as a writer in this course. Review past assignments, paying special attention to your Flash Reflections from each module of this course. 

Offer Your Initial Thoughts

For our final discussion, you will write a reflection about where you are as a writer, what you have learned, and what you hope to improve upon as you continue your journey. In your initial post, respond to the following questions:

Reflecting on where you were when you started this journey in this writing course, in what areas did you see growth? In what areas did you not see growth??Reflect on both the changes and the things that remained the same.??

What were some of the biggest struggles you had in the class? How did you overcome these struggles???

What did you learn about genre study and a rhetorical approach to writing that was most helpful to you? How can these things help you as you move forward with your writing??

Finally, where do you see yourself as a writer in the future, whether it in future classes, your professional work, or your personal life???

Connect with Classmates

In your peer response, please select at least two of your classmates’ posts and provide some feedback on their reflections. In your response posts, explain how your classmates’ experiences are similar or different from your own. What further insights do you have for your classmates?